Being aware of how we create photographs and how they are viewed is an important consideration in creating a successful image.

John Suler, a Professor of Psychology, Rider University, has an on line book - Photographic Psychology: Image and Psyche that applies psychological theory to specific aspects of composition, subject matter and how the images are perceived.

A related aspect of being aware is the ability `to see`, to be able to suspend conscious thought in order to use your sense, intellect and emotion while taking the shot. This is best explained in Freeman Patterson`s Photography and the Art of Seeing.

Another related book is Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel, which influenced the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson. Although it is nominally about using Zen principles to learn archery, it can be applied to photography. The same process of suspending conscious thought to aim an arrow or to press the shutter.